" MY NAME IS NOEVAL." 219 



one side. The other half he laid at my feet, pointed to 

 Nip, and delivered himself of a speech in the Utd language, 

 and of which I did not understand a single word. But I 

 then knew what he had meant by his signs. He and the 

 dog had jointly killed the deer ; I, as owner of the dog, 

 was entitled to a share. 



I answered with a speech ! 



I did not know exactly what to say ; but what did it 

 matter ? He could not comprehend me ; still, Indian eti- 

 quette demanded a reply at least as long as his address had 

 been. So I gave him " My name is Norval " in full, with 

 appropriate gestures as taught at school by the master of 

 elocution. It was a great success. He was impressed and 

 gratified. We shook hands with effusion and parted. 



Taking each our respective share of venison, and 

 mounting our steeds, we rode off on our separate ways ; 

 I making for camp at a gallop to take the news there that 

 the Ute's were in the valley, for it was impossible to know 

 what course of conduct towards us they would adopt. 

 That if friendly disposed they would shortly pay us a 

 visit of ceremony was most likely, and we made our pre- 

 parations accordingly. Our dogs were securely chained ; 

 our weapons stacked in the centre of our shelter making 

 quite a display of offensive and defensive armament ; all 

 our deer-skins, the bulk of our provisions, our tools and 

 instruments, and all other articles likely to be tempting to 

 Indian acquisitiveness, were carefully concealed in the 

 waggons ; and our waistbelts, each with a brace of Colt's 

 dragoon-revolvers and bowie-knife in it, we buckled on 

 under our hunting-shirts. These arrangements made, we 



